10 Python Unit Testing Best Practices

Unit testing is a vital part of the software development process. It helps you catch bugs early and makes it easier to refactor code.

In this article, we’ll share 10 best practices for writing unit tests in Python. By following these guidelines, you can write tests that are more effective and easier to maintain.

1. Test One Thing at a Time

Suppose you’re testing a function that’s supposed to take two numbers and return their sum. An obvious way to test this would be to call the function with different combinations of numbers and check that the result is always correct.

However, this approach has several problems. First, it’s very tedious and time-consuming. Second, it’s error-prone, because it’s easy to make a mistake in the calculations. Third, it doesn’t give you any information about why the function might be failing.

A better approach is to write a separate test for each individual part of the function. For example, you could write a test to check that the function correctly adds two positive numbers, another test to check that it correctly adds two negative numbers, and so on. This has several advantages.

First, it’s much easier to write and maintain, because you only need to focus on one thing at a time. Second, it’s more likely to be accurate, because there’s less opportunity for error. Third, it’s easier to debug, because if a test fails, you know exactly which part of the function is causing the problem.

Overall, testing one thing at a time is a much more effective approach to unit testing in Python. It’s faster, more accurate, and easier to debug.

2. Name Your Tests Meaningfully

Suppose you have a test that checks if a user can login to your site. If the test fails, the first thing you’re going to want to know is why it failed. Was it because the username was incorrect? Or the password?

If your test is simply named “test_login,” then it’s going to be very difficult to figure out why it failed. But if you name your tests more specifically, such as “test_login_with_incorrect_username” and “test_login_with_incorrect_password,” then it will be much easier to understand why the tests are failing.

Not only will this make debugging easier, but it will also make it easier for others to understand your tests. So when you’re naming your tests, always think about what information would be most useful to someone who is trying to understand why the test is failing.

3. Keep Unit Tests Short and Focused

If a unit test is too long, it’s likely testing more than one thing. This makes the test more difficult to understand and maintain. It also increases the chances that a change in the code will break the test.

On the other hand, if a unit test is too focused, it might not be providing enough coverage. This could lead to gaps in your test suite, which could cause problems down the road.

The best way to strike a balance is to keep unit tests short and focused. That way, they’re easy to understand and maintain, and they provide adequate coverage.

4. Use Assertions to Validate Results

Assertions are a fundamental part of unit testing in Python because they allow you to verify that the code is doing what it’s supposed to be doing. If an assertion fails, that means there is a bug in the code.

Without assertions, it would be very difficult to know if your code is working correctly. So, if you’re not using assertions in your unit tests, start now!

5. Write Docstrings for Each Test Method

Docstrings are a way of documenting your code so that others (and yourself, when you come back to the code later) can understand what it’s supposed to do. They’re especially important for unit tests because they explain the purpose of the test and how it should be used.

Without docstrings, someone reading your unit tests would have to guess what each test is supposed to do. This makes it harder to understand the tests and makes it more likely that someone will make a mistake when using them.

Writing docstrings also forces you to think about the purpose of each test, which can help you write better tests. And if you ever need to change the behavior of a test, having a docstring will remind you of what the test is supposed to do and help you make sure that the new behavior is still correct.

6. Don’t Repeat Yourself (DRY)

Repeating code is not only inefficient, but it’s also error-prone. If you have to update the same piece of code in multiple places, you’re more likely to make a mistake somewhere along the way. And if you do make a mistake, it can be very difficult to track down and fix all of the instances of that mistake.

Instead of repeating code, you should modularize your tests so that each test case covers a single, specific functionality. This will make your tests more efficient, easier to maintain, and less error-prone.

7. Use the setUp() Method to Create Fixtures

Fixtures are objects or data that are used as a baseline for your tests. By creating fixtures in the setUp() method, you can be sure that each test is run with a clean slate, so to speak. This helps to avoid false positives, which can occur when tests rely on data from previous tests.

Creating fixtures in the setUp() method also helps to keep your tests DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself). If you find yourself creating the same objects or data in multiple tests, it’s a good candidate for a fixture. By abstracting it out into a fixture, you can simply reference it in each test, rather than duplicating the code.

Finally, using fixtures can help to make your tests more readable and easier to understand. Rather than having a bunch of code to create objects or data, you can simply reference the fixture by name. This makes it clear what data the test is using, and makes it easy to change if necessary.

8. Make Use of tearDown() to Clean Up Resources

If you’re using resources that need to be cleaned up after each test (like files, databases, etc.), it’s important to do so in the tearDown() method. This is because if you don’t clean up those resources, your tests will become slower over time as more and more resources are left behind.

It’s also important to note that if you have any setup code in your setUp() method, you should also have corresponding cleanup code in your tearDown() method. This way, you can ensure that your tests are always starting from a clean slate.

9. Avoid Brittle Tests

A brittle test is one that is likely to break when the code it’s testing changes. This can happen for a number of reasons, but usually it’s because the test is too specific to the implementation details of the code.

For example, let’s say you have a function that takes a list of numbers and returns the sum. A brittle test for this function might check that the return value is equal to the expected value for a specific input list.

This might work fine at first, but if the implementation of the function changes (for example, if it starts using a different algorithm to calculate the sum), then the test will almost certainly break.

A better approach would be to write a test that checks that the function returns the correct sum for a range of different inputs. This is much less likely to break if the implementation changes, and it also gives you more confidence that the function is working correctly.

In general, you should aim to write tests that are as independent as possible from the implementation details of the code they’re testing. That way, you can be confident that your tests will continue to pass even if the code changes.

10. Run Your Test Suite Regularly

If you’re not running your tests regularly, it’s easy to let them get out of date. As your codebase changes, some tests will become irrelevant, and new tests will be needed to cover the new code. If you’re not running your tests regularly, it’s easy to miss these changes, and your test suite will gradually become less and less effective.

Running your tests regularly also helps to find bugs early. The sooner you find a bug, the easier it is to fix. If you wait until your code is in production before running your tests, it can be much harder to track down the source of the problem.

Finally, running your tests regularly helps to keep your team disciplined. If everyone knows that the tests will be run every day, they’ll be more likely to write them in the first place, and to keep them up to date.